October 9

Our Lives As Well
1 Thessalonians 1:1 - 2:9

Paul begins his letter with somewhat of a defense of his stewardship of the Gospel.  He points out his honesty;  he points out that he earned his own living while preaching to them.  All this might be seen as a defense against a sniping congregation - except for one little phrase:  "our lives as well."
Here is the measure of the evangelist's love.  It is one thing to preach the Gospel.  The evangelist is entitled to be supported, that is clear - but it is a noble thing if he works for his own support, for this produces an even better example.  Some are called to do this;  most are not.  That an evangelist would be strictly honest is to be expected;  that he would not seek praise is a severe trial of human nature.  But we can imagine an evangelist so committed to the cause of Christ that he sees his hearers not as brothers but as - you will forgive the term, I trust - targets. 
That is not Paul's way, nor should it be ours.  He shared not only the Gospel with them, but also his very life.  This is a sign that these Thessalonians had indeed become very dear to him.  It is one thing to preach on the street corner or in a rented hall.  It is entirely another to invite the crowd to join in your life, and turn them from crowd to dear friends.
It is likely enough the secret of his success.  Eloquence will draw a crowd;  love will keep and make friends.  Which would you have - the eloquent speaker or the dear friend?
This was not easy;  Paul speaks of "toil and hardship."  But is any good thing brought about easily or cheaply?  See the results of what he did.  Instead of mild approval he produced Christians - Christians who would endure "severe suffering" for the name of Christ.  They welcomed the message with joy - and became examples to others in the area of what a true believer was like.  Paul's example was reproduced a hundred fold in this community.
This is a key ingredient in our evangelism - which has been missing lately.  It is not sufficient to be an example (which we should be).  It is necessary to share our lives with those around us, so that they can see what is in our inmost being - the Holy Spirit.  Preaching may be reviled;  an example may be ignored, but a Christian who shares his life with others stands as an irrefutable witness to the Gospel of Christ.